Defend, not repeat. That’s the motto this season for the No. 1-ranked UW-La Crosse gymnastics team, as they look for back-to-back National Championships.

Coach Kasey Crawford, along with All-American juniors Paige Breckwoldt and Raina Christenson stopped in studio to talk about winning it all last year, who the best athletes are on campus, what makes their sport so tough and — again — trying to defend, not repeat winning it all.

We also hype up a matchup at 6 p.m. Friday at the La Crosse Center with No. 3-ranked UW-Whitewater, and a special appearance by Maggie Nichols — a world champion gold medalist and was the first gymnast in NCAA history to earn a "Gym Slam" by scoring a perfect 10.0 on all four individual events.

This is Crawford’s 10th season at UW-L, where she now has a title, plus three second-place and two third-place finishes nationally.

Meanwhile, Christenson is the reigning National Champion and WIAC Champion on the beam and a two-time All-American, she made history earlier this season by becoming the first Eagle since 2018 to win an individual title at an NCAA Division I meet, taking first on beam at Northern Illinois.

And Breckwoldt is a two-time All-American and a key force on vault, where she placed third at the National Championships last season. She has already proven to be a standout in 2026, recently sweeping the vault and floor exercise titles in the Eagles' victory over top-ranked UW-Oshkosh.

Since recording, UW-L went from No. 2 to the top team in the national rankings.

Defend, not repeat. That&rsquo;s the motto this season for the No. 1-ranked UW-La Crosse gymnastics team, as they look for back-to-back National Championships.
Coach Kasey Crawford, along with All-American juniors Paige Breckwoldt and Raina Christenson stopped in studio to talk about winning it all last year, who the best athletes are on campus, what makes their sport so tough and &mdash; again &mdash; trying to defend, not repeat winning it all.
We also hype up a matchup at 6 p.m. Friday at the La Crosse Center with No. 3-ranked UW-Whitewater, and a special appearance by Maggie Nichols &mdash; a world champion gold medalist and was the first gymnast in NCAA history to earn a "Gym Slam" by scoring a perfect 10.0 on all four individual events.
This is Crawford&rsquo;s 10th season at UW-L, where she now has a title, plus three second-place and two third-place finishes nationally.
Meanwhile, Christenson is the reigning National Champion and WIAC Champion on the beam and a two-time All-American, she made history earlier this season by becoming the first Eagle since 2018 to win an individual title at an NCAA Division I meet, taking first on beam at Northern Illinois.
And Breckwoldt is a two-time All-American and a key force on vault, where she placed third at the National Championships last season. She has already proven to be a standout in 2026, recently sweeping the vault and floor exercise titles in the Eagles' victory over top-ranked UW-Oshkosh.
Since recording, UW-L went from No. 2 to the top team in the <a href="https://usagym.org/college/national-rankings/021626/">national rankings</a>.

Listener conversations about the days events in and around the La Crosse area.  Weekdays from 5-6pm on WIZM 1410AM and 92.3FM

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Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM

Rick Solem talks about the days events in and around the La Crosse area. Weekdays from 5:07-6pm on 1410 WIZM